Frankly are convinced that their Neobi fabric is "set to change the performance industry forever", according to their website. It certainly has impressive wicking qualities and in conjunction with a jersey of softshell jacket moves a lot of moisture away from your body quickly and efficiently. In more restrictive conditions, though, it tends to suck some of that moisture back in, and when it does it's fairly slow to dry.

Neobi is a similar concept to Sportwool, in that the Merino sits next to the skin with an outer layer above. In sportwool that's Polyester, here it's cotton; the mix is 65% cotton, 35% wool and the 200g weight fabric is at the heavy end of the base layer spectrum.

Putting it on for the first time the Frankly feels very comfortable and nice and snug. The neck is quite large; there's a half-zip version with a high collar available too if that's what you prefer. The flat seams don't rub and the whole top feels well made.

The Frankly website talks a lot about commuting, and the first thing i did was chucked a soft shell on, donned a rucksack and rode the five miles home. The last 2 miles is up a pretty big hill and I'm always, erm, glowing by the time I reach the top. It didn't help that I got into a race on the steep bit. Which I lost. The wicking qualities of the Neobi fabric are excellent. Take off the softshell and you can feel the dampness on the outside of the base layer from the exertion, but the inside was dry.

Well, almost dry. Left free to do its work the wicking of the Frankly base layer is up there with the best, but restrict the airflow - under a rucksack, for example, or a heavy winter hardshell jacket - and the wicked sweat starts to soak back into the fabric after a while and the fabric, being mostly cotton, is pretty absorbent. Frankly suggest that outdoorsy types could "limit the weight for their backpacks on a hiking trip so they can sleep and hike in their Frankly garment". Assuming you're hiking at a decent lick, and carrying a rucksack that makes your back sweat, you're not really going to want to sleep in your base layer. It's fine while you're moving but you start to feel the chill a bit when you stop.

I've worn it a few days on the trot and I can confirm that it's pretty odour neutral, about the same as a full Merino base layer. If you're the kind of person that mostly rides in breathable outer layers (softshells and jerseys) then this baselayer is well worth a look; The wicking qualities are up there with the best. If you favour hardshell jackets, or you wear a rucksack, or you're just really sweaty then you'll probably find that the fabric starts to get wet after exerted efforts, and you'd probably be better off with a synthetic baselayer that'll dry much more quickly. As an all-round performer it gets a 7, but if your riding attire is suited to the fabric then it's worth an 8.

Verdict

Comfy and well made baselayer that's best in conjunction with a softshell jacket

road.cc test report

Make and model: Frankly Men's Basic Crew Tee

Size tested: Khaki - L

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

People want natural garments that perform. Garments that are comfortable, wicking, renewable, quite cool, durable, biodegradable, and that minimise odor.

Garments they can wear on the cycle commute, and keep on wearing through a day at work. Or climb a mountain and back down again. Or limit the weight for their backpacks on a hiking trip so they can sleep and hike in their Frankly garment.

Garments that work hard for the lives they live.

Frankly is not a brand that creates landfill or uses depleting resources. In fact, we like to say that Frankly grows old gracefully with you and gets better with age.

Neither is it about superheroes, muscle performance or high-tech chemical innovation.

It is about a refreshing and simplified way of looking at products that need to perform. Long term.

It is about getting back to basics.

And it is about having fun.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Neobi is a new fabric based on a combination of merino and cotton fibres. Soft, fine merino sits next to the skin and organic cotton forms the outer layer making it comfortable against the skin and more durable on the outer than regular merino garments making this product excellent for sports such as climbing due to this other benefit.

Rate the product for quality of construction:

8/10

Very nicely made, flat seams and good attention to detail

Rate the product for performance:

7/10

Wicks really well, can get clogged under heavier layers

Rate the product for durability:

7/10

No issues during testing, survived a few machine washes with no deterioration. Frankly suggest it'll give out a bit in time and become baggier, which it has a bit.

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:

7/10

About right for spring/autumn

Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:

8/10

Very comfy dry, and pretty comfy when it does get wet, a bit chilly when you stop

Rate the product for value:

6/10

It's not super-expensive but there's full Merino baselayers out there for quite a bit less

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Very well in the right conditions

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Nicely made, comfy when dry

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Absorbent in the wrong conditions, slow to dry

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Possibly

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes if they were the right sort of rider

That said, Planet X do some nice merino base layers from time to time - and they usually end up around the £20 mark. The DHB ones are very nice too. I have some of each of the PX, DHB and Rapha ones, and my favourite are actually the DHB, even without taking into account the price

Miscellaneous

Tools and workshop

Here's how we roll at road.cc: every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a real insight into whether it works or not. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective, and we strive to ensure that all opinions expressed are backed up by facts, but reviews are always a reviewer's informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores. It reflects both a product's function and value. Good scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad. Here's what they mean: